Page 34 of Crusher

“Got your attention now, don’t I? Clarice waseasy. Little extra in her needle and she didn’t even last longenough to enjoy the high. Now Cutter, well, I hadn’t planned tokill him. I was just going to share the information Clarice hadtold me about Carly being Cutter’s kid, for a price that is. Keptthat information when she told me. I’d already raised the brat asmine. Then the whore gets mad one night when I won’t give her ahit. Throws a hissy fit and blurts out she was going to leave me,take her daughter to her real father, that he would give her moneyand she would buy her own shit.” Speed said nothing but Coast movedcloser while Stone was busy spewing his shit.

“So you killed Clarice, that supposed toscare us? Or do you think that shit is going to upset me. I didn’tknow the bitch.” Speed’s eyes never left Stone, he just keptgetting him to talk. I noticed that Stone moved us every time Speedor Coast shifted.

“Now Cutter, I needed money, Cutter had it.Creeper snuck on the property at Black Hawk and left the note forCutter. We knew he would head to town, if for nothing else, just tosee what I was up to. Waited for the bastard on the road, he camearound the corner, and we were sitting lined across the road and helost control. He hit pretty hard but it didn’t kill him. I did leandown and tell him about Carly. I would have let him live but hespit in my face, so it was easy just to grab his neck and with atwist, done.” God I lived with this man, called him dad, and hespoke of killing like you would talk about what was for dinner.

Stone shifted to get us out of both men’sreach again. Coast took a big step to the side, putting him inarm’s reach of us. Stone moved the gun from my back to point it atCoast, Speed tore me out of Stone’s grip and dropped us to theground and I heard glass break, then Stone screamed and fell to theground, blood pouring from the hole in his shoulder.

“You okay?” Speed asked as he pulled us toour feet. I looked over at Stone as Coast was securing him. Theroom filled with men in seconds after Stone’s scream, but none ofthem was Crusher. I didn’t know how to feel: disappointed, hurt, Icouldn’t pick one.

“I’m fine, they just slapped me a couple timebecause I was giving them shit.”

“No, not you, baby,” I said as arms wrappedaround me from behind. I turned in his arms to face him.

“It was you, you shot Stone through thewindow. Speed and Coast aren’t crazy, they were just corralling himso he would move where you could see him.”

“Now, baby, I wouldn’t go that far.” Hekissed the top of my head, then looked at me. “What are you doinghere anyway? You should have been at Black Hawk. You shouldn’t evenbe driving.” Good Lord, how my life has changed. I patted his chestand that’s when I saw it.

“You have a president patch pinned onyou.”

“Baby, they usually give you a patch when youbecome the president,” Crusher said and moved us out of the way asthey brought a gagged Jacks out of the kitchen to sit him besideStone.

“Did the dads really step down, Crusher? Samisaid you guys were supposed to take over but no one thought theywould actually do it.” Crusher started toward the front door, hemoved us outside while Speed and Coast were talking into phones andDevil was patching Jacks and Stone to keep them from bleeding oneverything.

“The dads turned it all over, that’s why wewere still there when the call came in from Sue. She had to comeback to her house because she forgot something for the cookout andsaw the men come in. That’s where I was at, Carly, at Sue’s housewatching through the scope on my rifle, waiting to get my shotsoff. Wild Bill’s guys are on their way to pick these two up. And Iam taking you home.” He led me to my truck. “You okay to drive,baby?” I kissed his lips.

“The others will wait for Haven and fix thedoors while they are waiting. Let’s get you home. We have a cookoutto go to but I want to love on my woman because I had the shitscared out of me today.” He leaned down and rested his forehead tomine.

“He killed my mother and my father, Crusher.He cheated me out of a dad. They both did.”

“I’m sorry, baby. You didn’t deserve any ofthat shit. If I could change any of it for you I would.”

“I know you would, Crusher. I’m sorry you hadto stop your celebration for this shit. Not every day you get aclub turned over to you.” And I was sorry, for him, for the otherstoo. Instead of saving me once again, they should be celebratingwith their brothers.

“I love you, baby.”

“Thanks for coming for me today. I love youso much, Crusher.”

“Baby, no matter what. I will always come foryou. Let’s go home, Carly. I’ll be right behind you.” Crusherstepped back and opened the truck door for me. I went to get in andpaused, looking over my shoulder at him.

“Crusher, I’m not calling you Prez.” Hehelped me up into the seat, chuckling.

“Wouldn’t expect it from you, baby.” Crusherleaned in and kissed me. My life might not have always been rosesbut I wouldn’t have changed a thing because it was what broughtCrusher to me. And even kissing me in a truck, parked on the sideof the road—he felt like home and for the first time, I couldn’twait to see what the future held for me—for us.

Epilogue

Devil

“Why did we brings the truck, Uncle Devil? Iwanted to ride on the backs of your bike.” This had to be thelongest ten-minute drive in history. Whatever possessed me tovolunteer to do this needed to be exorcised out.

“Spider, your mom doesn’t want you riding onthe back of the bikes yet. Besides, we are going to the bakery sowe needed space to put the goodies. We couldn’t shove them in thesaddlebags, could we?”

“No, I don’t like my cupcakes with smushedicing.”

“Who does?”

“Who does, what?” she asked.

“No, sweetheart, ‘who does’ is just aphrase... Never mind, we’re almost there.” I was going back toBlack Hawk and hiding in the garage and keeping my mouth shut whenthe women were around. Speed and Crusher probably high-fived when Isaid I would do this. Sami had invited everyone for dinner that sheand Carly were cooking for all the help we gave in moving them in,then they realized there was nothing for dessert. I should haveknown I was being setup when their own men didn’t say dick.Couldn’t wait for what they suckered the others into for theirparts in the Ally turned shyster roll. ‘Cause damn, I knew we allhad foul mouths but who knew they were that bad. Sami does now,since we had to come clean when she found the shoebox in Ally’scloset full of dollar bills. When Sami counted it, Spider/Shyster,as some had begun to call her, had made a hundred and two dollarsin just over a week. Combine that with the as I like to refer to itas ‘the oil incident’ did not help our cause one bit. So trying toget back in the good graces of the women, I asked if they neededanything and before I knew it, I’m in the truck on my way to thebakery in town.

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